Macau losing out to casino cruise ships with Hong Kong gamblers

In Hong Kong, a new government study has reportedly found that gamblers in the former British colony are spending more with the casino cruise ships that leave the city for international waters than in the many gambling establishments in nearby Macau.

According to a report from Asia Gaming Brief, the Study on “Hong Kong People’s Participation in Gambling Activities in 2016” surveyed 1,250 people by telephone and discovered that 61.5% had gambled last year, which represented a drop of 16.3% when compared with a similar investigation conducted for 2001.

The most recent study also reportedly concluded that the respondents had spent an average of $5,824 with the floating casinos in 2016 versus $1,021 at gambling establishments in Macau although the latter figure was up by 5.6% when compared with an analogous poll held in 2012.

The study moreover reportedly found that the most popular form of betting for Hong Kong residents was the Mark Six lottery, which is operated by the non-profit Hong Kong Jockey Club, with 54.9% percent of respondents having played during 2016 followed by social gambling such as at mahjong parlors at 31.6%. Of those surveyed, 12.5% had also wagered on horse racing with 6.6% betting on football while 8.4% had visited a Macau casino.